


Dirty Laundry

by musikurt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-27
Updated: 2008-09-27
Packaged: 2017-11-03 01:51:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/375769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikurt/pseuds/musikurt





	Dirty Laundry

After a long day at work, Harry was used to coming home to the love and affection of his devoted Ginny. He would walk in the front door, set down his briefcase, and be welcomed with a warm hug and a passionate kiss. This happened every day, without fail, since the day of their wedding. Which is why today, it was clear something was wrong--very wrong.

Today when Harry came home, he was not greeted by the door. He set down his briefcase and looked around for Ginny. He called out to her but go no response. When he entered the front room, he saw her sitting at the table, an open envelope on the table, and it was clear she had been crying.

"Ginny, what's wr-"

"Don't speak to me right now," Ginny blurted out, visibly shaking while she spoke. " _Please_ , just don't say a word right now."

Harry wanted to move to her, to attempt to comfort her, but something told him that would not be the best idea right now. He wasn't sure what was wrong, but was certain it had to do with the letter on the table. It could be something with family, but he hoped she would share something like that with him.

"Ginny," he got up the nerve to say, "I need to know what's wrong. Clearly, you are upset and I cannot help unless I know the reason?"

"Harry," she said, beginning to sob, "why are you here?"

"Wha-, I, what kind of question is that?"

"Why are you with me? Why do you come home to this house everyday when clearly you don't want to?"

"Ginny, where is this coming from? You know exactly why I'm here. I love you...I'm madly in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Ginny stood up from the chair. " _Don't_ lie to me!" She slammed her hand down on the table, right on top of the open letter, which quickly drew her attention from Harry back to the envelope under her hand. She picked it up and walked toward him. "This letter told me _everything_." She threw the envelope at him and plopped back down in the chair, sobbing uncontrollably.

Harry picked up the envelope. "This is from...Astoria Malfoy? I don't understand why she would be sending you a le--"

"Oh you don't?" Ginny's sobs stopped almost immediately as she once again shifted from sadness to anger. "Let me summarize it for you. Apparently during a recent very intimate moment that she was sharing with her husband, he called out _your_ name. Why would he do that? Hmm?"

"I--, um, well, that doesn't make any sense? And frankly, I'm a bit disgusted to hear it."

"Spare me! The letter goes on to explain how Draco confessed that the two of you carried on an affair for two years after leaving Hogwarts. According to him, the only reason the two of you broke it off was because you both agreed that friends and family would not accept it and you wanted children. So, tell me. Is that all I am to you? A _machine_ to give you babies??" Ginny was standing again, with a look in her eyes that Harry could feel piercing right through him.

"Not at all. I don't understand why he would say that. It's completely un--"

"Harry! Please! All lying is going to do is make me more upset. The truth is out now, just don't try to treat me like a naive girl...because I'm not anymore."

"Okay, okay. Yes, we ended up becoming very close after Hogwarts. Closer than I ever imagined. Somehow it ended up progressing beyond friendship. But I knew it could never become anything long-term because it was not what I wanted out of life and I was still madly in love with you."

Tears welled up in Ginny's eyes. "Don't you _dare_ tell me that you loved me while you carried on an affair with Draco Malfoy."

"But it's true! My love for you has never waned and it never will."

"Harry, answer me this one question: Have you done anything with Draco since we were married? And please, spare me everything and just be honest."

"Ginny...I...yes, but just once."

Ginny picked up the tea kettle on the table and hurled it at him, grazing the top of his head. "Get out!"

"What?"

"I've packed a suitcase for you and left it at the bottom of the stairs. It should get you through a few nights wherever you choose to stay and then hopefully I will have calmed down enough for you to come get the rest of your stuff."

"Ginny, please, can't we just talk about this?"

"Talk? I don't even want to _see_ you right now." She sat back down in the chair and turned away from him. "I suggest you make haste and leave. You aren't going to want to be here when I tell my mother."

Harry started toward her again.

"Harry. Don't." Ginny took her wand out of her pocket and set it on the table in front of her. "Just go before I do something we're going to both regret."

Harry stood staring at her for a moment, tears beginning to drip down his cheeks. He let out a long sigh and then went back out into the entry. He picked up his suitcase, looked back into the front room and headed out the door.

Today was indeed different. All of the years they had spent together had unraveled so quickly over an indiscretion he thought was completely behind him. But he knew it was his mistake and his alone. Hopefully at some point Ginny would be able to forgive him, but he knew they would never be able to go back to what they had. He never meant to hurt her. He never meant for her to find out. But sometimes, if you aren't careful, your dirty laundry will end up out on the line and you can't hide your secrets anymore.


End file.
